Wire fence



(No Model.)

J. D. JONES.

WIRE FENCE.

No. 372,625. Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries,

JAMES D. JONES, OF OOLUMBIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO FRANK H. TOWVNSEND, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO.

WlRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,625, dated November 1, 1887,

Application filed May 23, 1887. Serial No. 239,124. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES D. JoNEs, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Columbiana, inthe county of Golumbiana and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wire fences, and has for its object the construction of a fence in which the wires crossing each other may be securely locked against displacement, and may be readily released when it may be desired to separate the fence without injuring any of the parts. As heretofore constructed the wires have been bent at an acute angle to enter the aperture in the clasp, and to afford space for the straight cross-wire to enter between the clasp and the inner surface of the bend in the other wire.

As wire fences are generally made of wire of an inferior quality, in the act of bending so acute an angle as is required with the pres ent form of clasps the wire frequeutlybreaksin the bend, and no provisionis madcfor increasing the clamping-power of the clamp or for releasing the wires by opening the clamp.

Thisinvention will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l'represents a side elevation of a section of a panel of wire fence. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective of my improved clasp, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one clasp applied to cross-wires and showing the reverse side from that shown in Fig. 1.

Reference being had to the drawings and the letters marked thereon, A represents a metallic clasp, which, as shown, is of an elliptical coneavo-convex figurc,with an elongated or elliptical aperture, (0, formed in it. The ellipticity of the apertures a may be increased and the depth of the aperture 0 may be va ried to accommodate wire of greater thickness by. bending the clasp more, so as to bring the sides 22 a closer together.

B represents the horizontal wires, which may be bent slightly at d to enter the elongated aperture a in the clasp A and to afford space for the vertical wire 0 to pass between the clasp and the inner surface of the wire at the point where it is bent.

After the vertical or straight wire has been inserted between the clasp A and the loop or bend in the horizontal wire, the clamping effect of the clasp may be increased by spreading the sides b c of the clasp, which will cause the sides of the wall of the elliptical aperture 64 to press upon the straight wire and bind it between the bend or loop in the horizontal wire and the clasp.

The bend d of the wire B may be formed after the wire 0 has been inserted between the wire B and the clasp A by spreading the sides 12 c of the clasp, which will indent the wire B and form a seat for the wire 0.

Should it be desired at any time to take the fence apart, this may be readily accomplished without the least injury to either the clasp or the wires by pressing the sides I) c of the clasp toward each other, which will release the grip upon the wire and permit the straight wire to be easily and readily withdrawn.

It will be observed that by my construction of wire fence only the horizontal wires are bent, and that the bend in them is very slight, which obviates the danger of breaking the wire; that the elasps may be applied to wire of different thicknesses by changing the ellipticity of the aperture in the clasp; that any desired tension may be applied to the clasp, and that the fence may be separated without injuring any of the material.

I am aware that it has heretofore been pro posed to construct a fencein which the pickets were provided with recesses to receive the stringers, and rings were placed overthe juncture of the pickets and the stringers to hold bent and the vertical wire clamped in the re them together and space the pickets. I do cess byexpandin'g the plate, and the vertical not, therefore, claim such a construction. wire released by contracting the same, sub- Having thus fully described rny'invention, stantially as described.

5 what I claim is In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein r 5 In a wire fence, flexible plates having an presence of two witnesses.

elliptical aperture therein, in combination JAMES D. JONES.

with horizontal and vertical Wires, the longest WVitnesses:

diameter of the elliptical opening being hori- JOSIAH ROHRBAUGH,

1o zontal, whereby the horizontal wire may be JAMES J. FE'IZER. 

